ShadowedTactician: Even if you didn't, I wouldn't be writing much either... drawing classes will be the half-death of me.
Grim: Moving on...
RubyVulpix
ShadowedTactician: Well... yeah. Wil called Dart Darth. And it's got nothing to do with Darth Vader, it's part of Wil/Dart Support Conversation Level B, when poor archer boy is trying his best not to call Dart Dan. And as for LoZ, sorry, I have no idea what that is.
Imppala: She must not have read her support conversations much...
Gijinka Renamon
ShadowedTactician: In case you didn't read my profile, GR, I create fake Pokémon cards as a hobby by alloting Pokémon to characters of toons and games I'm interested in. This story was started when I was still planning Trainer cards for the FE: Dragon's Gate set (featuring Ephidel, Limstella, Linus, Lloyd, Nergal, Nils, Ninian, Sonia and Ursula). Currently, I've made 30 out of the 146 cards to be included...
Imppala: And it's making him deviate from writing the story, the bugger.
Elven-girl10
Imppala: Grammar freak? That's strange... Shadow's the grammarest freak I know! He shouldn't be making grammar mistakes!
ShadowedTactician: ...There's no such thing as grammarest, Imppala.
Jeanie
Imppala: Hurt Grim? Now why WOULD I do that?
ShadowedTactician: (sarcastically) Gee, search me. Anyway, Jeanie, they most certainly won't be noticing Kishuna until his final chapter... 23x doesn't allow him to be seen anyway.
Imppala: Then what are you planning for 23x?
ShadowedTactician: You'll just have to see, won't you?
Imppala
Grim: Why... c'mere, you!
Electrike: Can't catch me! Can't catch me!
ShadowedTactician: And now, we present to you, the long awaited (though maybe not by Elven-girl10)...
All of their battles have led them here. Now, at long last, Eliwood's team has finally reached the Dragon's Gate. Hector gains a brief respite before the battle. Shortly thereafter, he notices something... Ninian has gone missing. There! Her pale figure vanishes into the dark woods. Her gait is unsteady, as though she were possessed. Quickly, Hector gives chase...
As Ninian walked on, her feet took her to what looked like a very old building. Cracks showed where the passage of time and creeping vines had eroded the walls. Marble pillars lay on the ground. Rotting leaves filled channels were water had once flown freely. Cobwebs lined the entire scene.
All of a sudden, Ninian began to see a vision...
Hurriedly, a man in mysterious dark robes ushered two young children to a building constructed from marble. Pausing from time to time to see if anyone was following them, the shaman stopped outside the main gate.
"...You hide and wait here," he instructed, bringing out a package. "There's food and water in this pack. If you ration yourselves, it should last about ten days."
"...What about you, daddy?" inquired the girl. To look at her, one would think that she could not be possibly older than ten years of age. "Are you going away?"
"Daddy has to go to Aenir," explained the man. "...I'm going to get Mommy."
"...Mommy?" the girl repeated. "Where is she?"
"Some bad men took her away. They can't have gone very far, though. I have to go after them and save Mommy," the shaman whispered. "You wait ten days... if Daddy's not back by then, take your brother and go to the other side. You're a clever girl. You know the way, right?"
"...Daddy..." The girl called softly, almost on the verge of tears.
"Daddy... Don't go..." begged the boy, clinging to the man's robes.
"...You're good children. Both of you," murmured the man, gently prying off the boy's fingers and running into the distance. "I'll come for you," he said to himself.
"I'll be back..."
Just as Ninian saw the last of the peculiar scene, Lyn had caught up with her.
"Ninian? Why are you running?" panted the plainsgirl as she tried to catch her breath. "...Is there something here?"
"...This place... I feel as if I know it..." murmured Ninian. "...It's... very familiar."
"What?" Before Lyn could say anything else, Eliwood, Hector and the two tacticians came running.
"Lyndis! Is Ninian well?" called Eliwood. "...What is it?"
"I'm not sure. But she said she knows this place," frowned Lyn. "Could it have something to do with her amnesia?"
"Why would she be familiar with anything on the Dread Isle?" wondered Hector.
"...It's a very old building," Eliwood noted. "It must have been abandoned for centuries..."
"What about the Dragon's Gate?" Hector asked. "We're way off course now."
"Ooh! You're so insensitive!" Lyn chastised. "This might restore Ninian's memory! Try and be a little patient!"
"Listen, aren't we in a bit of a hurry here?" reminded the Ostian youth. "While you're wasting time, Eliwood's father could be..."
"It's okay, Hector," reassured Eliwood. "Let's see what happens."
"But... bah!" Unable to change his friends' minds, Hector decided to take a short walk around. The two tacticians, seeing that there was nothing they could do, followed him.
"He's too nice for his own good," remarked Hector. "You agree with me, right, guys?"
"Er..." Just as Shadow was thinking up a suitable answer, Imppala exclaimed, "There's someone there!" Sure enough, a man dressed in a druid's outfit emerged from a dark corridor. "Hello..." greeted the stranger.
"You... do you live here?" Hector questioned.
"No, I'm a simple traveller," the stranger explained. "I was walking in the woods and became tired. I was resting here." Turning around, he gazed at the ancient walls. "This building... it's been empty for a long time."
"Really?" sniffed Hector as he too looked around. "I think we'll take a rest here as well. Is that alright?"
"Yes, of course." At the druid's approval, Hector and the two tacticians sat down, to be joined by Lyn and Eliwood who had not managed to move Ninian from her position. Together, they sat for a few minutes, relaxing in the calm breeze that blew throughout the corridor, until Hector decided to break the silence. "What is this place?"
"It's a ruin from the Scouring... the residence of a dark sorceror," explained the druid. "I've found several ancient tomes here. Fascinating stuff, really," he smiled. "If I can unlock their secrets, I can move closer to the darkness. From what I've gathered, I must make further reparations."
"Reparations?" repeated Eliwood.
"Yes," nodded the stranger as he took out a tome. "It's the fate of those who study dark magic. If you covet the dark, you must enter it of your own free will. You must erase yourself and become an empty vessel. Only then will you be able to receive the dark and master it. If your disposition is weak, the dark will overwhelm you. You will be lost... ofttimes, you will forget why you seek the power to begin with. Only a few people ever gain true power. To win such a prize, one's self is a small and insignificant sacrifice." When met with silence, the druid decided to continue. "I've heard rumours... Bramimond, one of the eight legends, devoted himself entirely to the dark," he recalled. "All emotion, all memory... dissolved in a river of dark. That is how he received the power to best dragons.
"...I don't understand," Eliwood muttered, scratching his head. "Why would anyone want power at the cost of his own identity?"
"'I must have it at any cost.' I believe every living soul has felt such desire. I know I have," the stranger grinned. "Have you not, Lord Eliwood of Pherae?"
"What!" Shocked, Eliwood quickly stood up. "How do you know who I..."
"You... It was you?" In a rush of fury, Hector leapt up as well.
"Uhai and Aion's deaths were convenient. Your exhaustion is even more convenient..." gloated the druid. "I, Teodor, lay claim to the deed of killing the young noble of Pherae. When I'm done, I will examine this building's treasures at my leisure. But for now..." Opening the tome in his hands, Teodor revealed that the thick book of dark magic he held in fact had a square cut out of every page, so as to hold the Pokéball it secretly stored. Without warning, the Pokéball snapped open, releasing a bat Pokémon with two minute eyes, two large wings, two small legs and two pointy ears. The rest of its body was nothing but a huge, gaping mouth that bared four sharp fangs. "Golbat, use Haze!" ordered Teodor.
"Gol! Bat!" Taking a deep breath, Golbat emitted a dark gas that spread everywhere, cloaking every nook and cranny in the building and sending everyone into coughing fits.
"(cough) Black... fog?" exclaimed Lyn. "I can't see anything!"
"Blast! (cough!)" swore Hector. "Those used to this ink will have an advantage..."
"Ninian!" Lyn remembered. Rushing out of the corridor, the plainsgirl frantically looked around, but to no avail. "She's gone!" cried Lyn. "Do you think he took her?"
"Let's go, Hector!" shouted Eliwood.
"Alright! That scum..." grumbled the Ostian lord. "No Black Fang must be allowed to live!"
"This place... it is filled with a dreadful air... thick with menace... and harmful gases!" choked Hannah. "How do you expect me to augur in this?"
"Alright, you do have a point... Serra!" called Shadow. "We need your help!" Nodding, the outspoken cleric came over and sent out her Pokémon. "Corsola, Light Screen!" she commanded.
"Corsola!" The Coral Pokémon concentrated for a bit, creating a gentle forcefield that surrounded Hannah and her Xatu.
"Ah, that's much better..." sighed the old fortune-teller as she prepared for her ritual. "Mm... Strong allies, strong weapons," she began. "If you don't have these, yours will be a difficult battle... Watch for enemy thieves. You may take damage in ways you couldn't imagine," Hannah warned. "Magic attacks from nowhere will stop eventually. So will ballista attacks. There's no need to take risks; proceed slowly and cautiously... That's it," informed Hannah as her familiar light disappeared.
"Hm..." Shadow frowned, rubbing his chin in thought. "Looks like there won't be any need for special arrangements. We'll follow standard procedures..."
"We move in and pound every enemy to a pulp?" asked Imppala.
"...Sure, I don't see why not," shrugged Shadow. "She said 'strong allies, strong weapons', so we'll just rush 'em and get this over with. That's your department, isn't it?"
"Heck yes!" Imppala cheered as he punched the air. "Alright, everyone!" he waved. "We're off!"
In spite of Imppala's good spirits at first, the group found it rather difficult to fight properly in the dark fog. Even Matthew, who had the ability to see clearly through the thickest of mists, could not peek through Golbat's haze with ease. Enemy after enemy poured from the shadowed halls, as well as ballista missiles and sleep spells. Still, the brave fighters remained together, and continued to press on...
"Ember attack!" yelled Erk and Priscilla simultaneously. Slugma and Rapidash opened their mouths, sending red-hot flames crashing into an enemy thief. "I think that should've done it," Erk remarked as he wiped sweat from his forehead.
"Thanks, Erk!" called Matthew as he rushed past. "Treasure time! Treasure time!" he chanted, heading straight for the two chests that lay ahead.
"Are you alright, Lady Priscilla?" asked Erk. "You seem a little unwell..."
"I'm fine, Erk," replied the valkryie. "It must be this dreadful fog... but I'll be fine." Pausing for a moment, Priscilla suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure, dashing across the shadows. "Please, Erk... excuse me for a moment," she requested.
"Oh... alright," nodded her escort. With her heart pounding heavily, Priscilla quickly rode over to the shadowed figure, where no one else could see her. "Lord Brother?..." called Priscilla.
"Ah, Priscilla." Reluctantly, Raven stepped out of the darkness, but not before keeping his sword back in its scabbard. "She must not know what I am planning," he thought.
"It is I... might I be with you a moment?" requested the younger Cornwell sibling.
"...Certainly," nodded Raven.
"Thank you." Gently, Priscilla let herself down from Rapidash and caught her brother in a tight embrace, like when they had met back in Caelin. "Something wrong?" asked the mercenary.
"I... am very happy," smiled Priscilla. "To be next to my lord brother like this... I have dreamed often of this day." Gazing at his sister's contented face, Raven could say nothing at all. "Um... Lord Brother? Do you... remember this ring?"
"Hmmm... what's that?" asked Raven, as Priscilla showed him the glittering item on her finger.
"You have forgotten... that is too bad," Priscilla giggled. "When I was young... when I was with you in Cornwell... You made a promise to me, brother. You said that when I had grown older... you'd take me as your bride."
"Yes, but, surely... Priscilla?" Raven felt a rush of blood to his face; a feeling he was not used to experiencing.
"Yes, I know. It was a child's game," nodded the valkryie. "So you said to me as I cried and cried... and then you gave me this ring."
"And... and you still..." murmured the older brother.
"I am still a child... so allow me one more childish wish of you," requested the younger sibling as she held her brother tightly. "Please, let me stand here, by your side. Don't make me suffer in loneliness again."
"...Alright," agreed Raven, as he gently returned Priscilla's embrace. "Perhaps..." he thought, "Later I can persuade her to leave this group..."
Meanwhile, outside the dark corridor, the main force was still slugging it out in the main hall...
"Raaaah!" shouted Bartre as he brought his axe down on an enemy archer sitting on a ballista. "It's all yours, Rebecca!" he called.
"Okay! Thanks!" Quickly, the young archer climbed onto the wooden mechanism. "Ah... how am I going to shoot missiles when I can't see?" she sweated as she stared into the inky blackness.
"No worries, Rebecca! Go, Ninjask!" Guy volunteered his help as he sent out the evolved Bug Pokémon. "Use Mind Reader!"
"...Jask?" The Ninja Pokémon merely stared lazily into the darkness, its legs twitching every now and then.
"Ninjask, I said use Mind Reader!" ordered the swordsmaster.
"Jask?" Slowly, Ninjask turned around to face Guy, without showing any sense of urgency. "Ninjask!" Guy shouted, infuriated. "I said..."
"Jask! Jask!" Without warning, Ninjask leapt to its trainer's face and clung on tightly with its back claws. Its front claws were used to angrily scratch Guy's face before Ninjask took off.
"Ow... What was that all about?" groaned the swordsmaster. Then, noticing his Pokémon had gone, Guy immediately went frantic. "Wait! Ninjask... Come back!" he yelled as he chased Ninjask into the darkness.
"Drat!" muttered Rebecca. "I guess I'll have to go it solo..."
At the same time, in one of the isolated rooms...
"Now I've found you, you stinking bow-plucker!" snarled Dart as he charged at Wil. "Take this!"
"Whoa! Look behind you!" yelled Wil, pointing at two incoming knights.
"What!" Turning around, Dart issued a quick order. "Corphish, Crabhammer!"
"Phish phish!" The Ruffian Pokémon leapt into the air while waving its huge pincers, landing huge dents in the armour of the Black Fang lancers. "Are you okay?" Wil asked.
"You idiot! On your right!" shouted the pirate.
"Whoa!" Wil exclaimed, barely dodging a couple of conjured fireballs thrown by enemy mages. "Sandstorm, Cacnea!"
"Cac-NEA!" The Cactus Pokémon began to spin like a top, generating a hurricane of sand that blew the mages away, along with their scorching spells. "Phew. That was close!" commented Wil. "Thanks. You're Dart, right?"
"Snrk! I wasn't trying to help you, squid-bait! Just forget about it..." snorted Dart. "But wait... you did save me first... so think of it as payback!... Eh?" The leader of Fargus' suicide squad stopped once he noticed Wil staring at him with a thoughtful look in his eye. "WHAT?"
"Hmmm... You know, Dart, you really do look like Dan..." murmured the archer. "It's just so hard to imagine you're not him..."
"Not that again!" groaned the corsair. "Who is this guy? Who is Dan?"
"Dan was my childhood fr... he was my best friend..." began Wil as the two sat down on some steps. Their Pokémon huddled around, waiting for a good story. "We left home together five years ago, but it didn't go too well. Last time I saw him was back in Badon..."
"Five year ago? In Badon, you say..." repeated Dart, rubbing his chin. "That's right," Wil nodded.
"Hm... Naw, couldn't be..." muttered the pirate.
"What? Do you know something?" Immediately, Wil sat up at the prospect of some information about his long-lost friend.
"...Well, about five years ago, Fargus pulled into port at Badon, and a young man had collapsed at the pier," Dart recalled. "He was bleding pretty badly... they say it was a miracle he lived at all."
"What!" exclaimed Wil.
"Everyone in town just pretended not to notice... and no wonder. That day was a holy day for Elimine's flock," continued Dart. "They were forbidden any contact with blood. And the sailors... well, you know how superstitious they are. That man lay there, half alive, for six hours..."
"That's... terrible..." murmured the archer, as Cacnea and Corphish nodded in agreement.
"Then the taboo lifted, and someone picked him up, just in time..." the pirate went on. "It was the leader of the pirates that work out of Badon. Well, that young man recovered, but as if in exchange for his life, he had lost all his memories..."
"Dart, you don't think..." Wil began.
"I don't know, I don't know..." Dart muttered as he held his head in his hands. "It's just a story I've heard around..."
"I am Teodor the Shrike, of the Black Fang," reiterated the grinning druid as the three lords, besides some of the other magic users, barged into the room. "You will die now."
"I think you'll be the one who's dying!" growled Hector. "Squirtle, go!"
"Golbat!" commanded Teodor as the Bat Pokémon appeared from behind a cloud of black fog. "Confuse Ray, now!"
"GOL!" At once, Golbat's eyes emitted a peculiar golden light, catching Hector and Squirtle by the eyes. "Agh!" Struck by confusion, both lord and Pokémon could only stagger around as they tried to stand up straight.
"Nosferatu!" Teodor chanted as Golbat swooped towards its victims. All of a sudden, the room became even darker (if such a thing was possible) and Hector was surrounded by a strange symbol that looked like six small circles around one big circle, with another small one in the middle. "No!" whispered Canas.
"Hector!" shouted Eliwood, rushing forward to pick Hector up.
"Eliwood! Get down!" In the nick of time, Lyn pushed the Pheraen lord aside, just as the circles moved up and away from Hector and the darkness spell took its effect. The circles flew back towards Teodor, soaking through his skin.
"Hector!" Immediately, Eliwood, Lyn and the two tacticians came to Hector's aid, but the Ostian lordling could barely move, let alone try and attack. "Blast..." he muttered, as the others helped him up. "Blast that stupid... ugh..."
"That Nosferatu spell must have drained away most of his energy!" Canas explained.
"Imppala! Lord Eliwood! Look!" yelled Shadow. The two men went over to see Shadow with a frantic look on his face and Squirtle in his hands. The Tinyturtle was completely out for the count and two small rivers of blood flowed freely from a couple of wounds atop its head.
"...Bite marks!" realised Imppala. "That's Golbat's Leech Life! Teodor's able to use both Pokémon and dark magic to steal life force from his opponents!"
"That's right. And this is only a taste of the power I've achieved." Smiling menacingly, the druid started to flip through another tome. "Eclipse!" In the middle of Eliwood's group, a small orb of darkness was forming, slowly increasing in size...
"EVERYBODY DOWN!" screamed Shadow. For most of the team, this was already a rather common order, and they simply fell to the ground, leaving the rest to follow suit. The long-range dark spell dissolved into the air as mysteriously as it had appeared, having missed its targets. "Confuse Ray!" shouted Teodor.
"Look out!" Imppala hollered as he shielded his eyes along with Canas, but it was too late. Golbat's second Confuse Ray was even stronger than the last, and had even managed to blind some of the others. "Nosferatu!"
"Baaaaaat!" At its master's signal, Golbat dove at the group, saliva dripping from its mouth. All around Canas and Imppala, the strange magic symbols surrounded their friends, an indication of what was to come... "NOOO!" yelled the two.
SHYUUUUM! A piercing sound, mingled with the cries of pain, cut through the fog as Teodor stole the life force out of most of Eliwood's fighters. Golbat flitted back to its master, having fulfilled its task. Pokémon and people lay on the floor, drained of the energy and the will to fight.
"Drat!" swore Imppala. "Is there no way to beat that thing?... Eh?" The red tactician stared at Grim, who was trying desperately to rouse Shadow from unconsciousness. "Why is Grim still up?... Unless..."
"Any last words before I finish you off?" Teodor smirked, interrupting Imppala's thoughts.
"...As a matter of fact, yes!" Imppala looked up to face the druid, his countenance beaming with confidence. "Canas! We need Baltoy! And Erk's Slugma and Grim as well!"
"What?" Looking back, Canas watched as Erk weakly attempted to support Priscilla. "Just... take him..." panted the mage, passing Slugma's Pokéball to Canas.
"Thanks!" Quickly, the shaman threw out the two Pokéballs, summoning forth the Clay Doll and Lava Pokémon. Grim, noticing the presence of battlemates, hovered over to join them.
"Three indeterminate Pokémon..." frowned Canas as he studied the monsters in front of him. Each looked determined and ready to fight. "Ah! I've got it!" exclaimed the shaman, realising Imppala's plan.
"Do you expect to defeat me?" laughed Teodor. "Fine then! I shall unleash the full strength of my abilities!" Pointing at his Pokémon, he gave another command, "Leech Life!"
"Golbat!" Baring its teeth, Golbat zoomed towards Baltoy, sinking its massive fangs into the Clay Doll's exterior... and stopping.
"What!" Teodor exclaimed. "Golbat! What's wrong?"
"Golbat Leech Life can only drain the life energy from Pokémon if Golbat can suck out their blood!" smirked Imppala. "However, none of the Pokémon in front of Golbat has blood flowing through them! Moreover," he added, "Golbat chose to attack Baltoy, and now its teeth have sunk into Baltoy's ceramic body! It can't free itself!"
"With that... ATTACK!" ordered Canas. "Slugma!" "Kull!" "Baltoy!" As Baltoy blasted Golbat away with psychic waves, Slugma and Duskull launched their respective fiery techniques, nearly burning the bat to death.
"Heh heh heh... Do you think you've won?" chuckled Teodor. "Even if you've almost defeated Golbat, you still have... eh?" The druid looked on in surprise as a Flux spell emerged in front of him. "What's this?"
"Electrike!" called Imppala, just as Canas released his hold on the spell. The darkness ball disappeared, revealing the tactician's Pokéball which opened with a flash of light. "Thunderbolt, now!"
"TRIKE!" The Electric Pokémon flexed its muscles, gathering all the electricity within its cells, and released it all in one big attack.
"Yeeeeeeaaaaaarrrrgh!" Teodor cried out in pain as the power coursed through his body and Golbat's, frying them to a crisp. As the haze from Golbat finally dissipated, Teodor lay flat on the marble floor, going with a smile on his face. "This is what... I spoke of..." he whispered. "If I had... more power..."
"That about wraps this up," Hector remarked, once all of them had more or less fully recovered. "Eliwood? How about over there?"
"Fine," nodded his friend. "But... where is Ninian? Has anyone seen her?"
"I found her!" reported Lyn as she came rushing. "She's inside," pointed the plainsgirl towards another corridor. "Hm? Why isn't she with you?" asked Hector.
"There's a library filled with ancient books inside," Lyn explained. "She's been in there, staring at a picture. I can't get her to move."
"What kind of picture?" inquired Eliwood.
"A picture of a dragon and a human," came the reply.
"From the Scouring?" Hector raised an eyebrow. "We've got a lot of those in Castle Ostia..."
"No, it's not a picture of the actual fighting," continued Lyn. "It shows a single human and a single dragon... it's a very eerie picture."
"...It must have belonged to the dark sorceror who used to live here," Eliwood commented.
"I wonder what kind of person that magic user was," Lyn remarked. As they spoke, the enigmatic dancing girl emerged from the room, looking slightly dazed but alright otherwise.
"Ninian! Are you ready?" asked Eliwood.
"Yes," nodded Ninian. "Um... I'm sorry for the trouble..."
"Well? Did you... remember something?" inquired Lyn hopefully.
"There's... No, nothing," Ninian sighed. "I'm sorry..."
"Don't push yourself. You'll remember soon enough," Eliwood smiled comfortingly.
"That's right!" Lyn agreed. "Cheer up!"
"Let's get moving!" barked Hector. "We've been fighting since we got here. If we make it to the Dragon's Gate, we win. We've got to rescue your father!"
"Right!" Eliwood nodded at his friend's reminder. Once the group had all gathered together, they immediately set off, leaving the ancient ruins behind, headed for the Dragon's Gate. And at last, the ruins lay undisturbed... for a moment, until a cloaked figure teleported into the hall.
"What is this place?" muttered the figure. "I was supposed to be at the Dragon's Gate. Why am I here?" Walking around, the figure looked at the surroundings before the memories flowed back into place.
"Ah... Now I remember," he said to himself. "I was here a long, long time ago... During the Scouring... I studied dark magic here." Turning around, a frown appeared on the stranger's face as he continued to recall.
"This... I left something here. Something valuable..." The figure tried to remember, but this only brought up a killer headache. "Urrgg... My head... the pain..." Wincing, he clutched his head in agony as he willed the pain to go away.
"Bah!" he cursed. "It must not be worth much if I never bothered returning for it. I have power now. Nothing else matters. I will open the Dragon's Gate and get even more power... the power to defeat anyone."
With that, the figure raised his hands, conjuring up another teleportation spell. A glowing ring appeared around him as the mysterious light carried him away from his former dwelling place, leaving behind a single word which echoed throughout the ancient halls.
"Power..."
ShadowedTactician: Now are you happy? I let you defeat a boss!
Imppala: I'd have to say... no. I only defeated one!
ShadowedTactician: ARGH!
Grim: ...Review.
